Love at First Fight
by chibi blue mouse
Summary: My version of how Soren and Pelli met based on the brief passage in Book 8: The Outcast. Rated for owl language and to be on the safe side.  -
1. Chapter 1: A Meeting Amid the Flames

**A/N: Okay, yes, I know I have way too many fanfictions as it is, but I've been wanting to write about this for a while and after browsing the five pages of Guardians of Ga'Hoole stories, I just couldn't keep this idea at bay any longer. And, I'm warning you now, there is another Ga'Hoole story coming and I don't think it'll be as good. However, having five pages of stories and very few stories that I want to read makes me want to go write a story that I'd be willing to read again. Hopefully others will want to read my stories as I write them. And I AM working on my other stories; I've just kinda hit a brick wall with them. (cry)**

**This story idea may be one of the most common among the stories of the Guardians, (I've seen at least three,) but rest assured, I'm doing this MY way and I don't think I'm really coping anything anyone else has done. I'm taking what I can off the brief passage in Book 8: The Outcast about how Soren and Pelli met and got together. I wanted more details so I've made them the best I can.**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own and I will never own The Guardians of Ga'Hoole. The beautifully written world of owls is property of Kathryn Lasky. I DO however own all fifteen of the books. (grin)**_

Chapter 1: A Meeting Amid the Flames

There had been fires in Ambala before, but never had the Barn Owl, Pellimore, seen one so close to her tree. Pellimore, or Pelli as some of her closer friends called her, had moved to Ambala from the Forest of Tyto shortly after news that the Pure Ones were trying to press young Barn Owls like herself into joining the diminished forces. In the few moon cycles that Pelli had been in the forest, she found herself friends with a Spotted Owl who lived a few trees over named Hortense. Then again, almost everyone who hatched in Ambala was named Hortense, boy or girl.

Speaking of which, her friend had just flown by her hollow.

"Hortense! What's going on?" Pelli called out, poking her head out of the tree.

The Spotted Owl turned back and lighted down on a branch outside the hollow. "Can't you see it Pelli?" she asked, rather panicked. "The fire! It's too close! We've got to get out of here!"

Pelli blinked. "But isn't there a river down that way? We should be safe-"

"Fires can jump rivers Pelli! I'm not sticking around to get my gizzard grilled! You shouldn't either!" Hortense said, her dark brown eyes glistening with worry for her friend.

Pelli shook her head. "Well until it jumps the river, I don't intend to leave this hollow. I've worked hard to make it fit for living in and I won't leave it unless I have no other choice." She said stubbornly.

Hortense appeared to grow slimmer as she wilfed before her friend. "Just . . . promise me you'll be careful Pelli. Remember, there's other hollows out there . . . but there's only one of you Pelli . . . I don't want to come back and find that you're not . . . that you're . . ." the words got stuck in the owl's gizzard and she yarped up a small pellet in her distress.

Pelli's eyes softened and she stepped out onto the branch right in front of her hollow then hopped to the branch where her friend was perched. Gently sticking her beak into Hortense's spotted feathers, she began to preen the other to help ease the owl's worry. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. I can handle myself." She said, straightening to smile at her friend.

Hortense nodded. "You're right. You're tough enough to give the legendary Twilight of the Great Tree a run for his money." She said with a hiccupy giggle.

"Hardly . . . I'm no fighter . . . but thanks." She said and waved off her friend as the other fled the fire.

000

At the Great Tree, the colliering and search and rescue chaws lifted off towards the forest of Ambala. A forest fire had been reported and the two chaws headed towards the flames for two different purposes. The colliers were supposed to search for coals, bonk or otherwise, to bring back to the Great Tree for Bubo's forge.

Soren flew with Martin and Otulissa flanking him on either side and Ruby flew behind him, completing the formation. They had all been together almost since they had first started and were a part of what was famously known at the Tree as the Chaw of Chaws. Also from the Chaw of Chaws were Twilight, Digger, Eglantine, and Primrose who were in the search and rescue chaw.

This was supposed to be a typical flight with no surprises, but as they flew over the Sea of Hoolemere towards the flames, Soren's gizzard was grinding in an odd way.

The day before he had one of his starsight dreams about a Barn Owl he had never seen before caught in the fire. However, he had forgotten the dream when he woke up and could not recall a single detail of it. And though Soren couldn't remember anything of his dream, his gizzard was telling him that this fire contained something that wasn't the same as any other fire run he'd been on.

000

Pelli was starting to regret not joining Hortense as the Spotted Owl fled. Other owls were now flying away, bringing news that the fire had jumped the river. Among some of the owls that passed her hallow were Barn Owls with battle claws. _Pure Ones . . ._ Pelli thought, wilfing as she hid in her hollow. She had left her family in the forest of Tyto because of the Pure Ones and now . . . it seemed the dratted birds who flew almost as loudly as a wet-pooper were now scouring the ones fleeing the fire for potential recruits. Well Pelli would die before she'd ever join the Pure Ones.

And with the fire creeping ever closer, it seemed as though she'd fulfill that promise.

000

Soren had finished bringing a coal to Bubo and was headed back to his post with Martin, Otulissa, and Ruby when he spotted a tree with a hollow, declared empty by search and rescue, go up in flames, suddenly his dream came back to him. There was an OWL in the fire!

With a quick, "I gotta go," to Otulissa, or was it Martin? He wasn't paying attention, Soren flew off, expertly navigating the flames to where he hoped he could find that Barn Owl before she burned to death.

000

Pelli was trying to keep an even head even as flames licked the trees far too close to her own. Daring to stick her head out of the hollow, she quickly scanned the area for any sight or sound of the Pure Ones before she flew out of her hollow, heart and gizzard heavy as she left the place she had made for herself in the forest. A sudden roar that had her closing her ear-slits caused her to look back with wide eyes as her tree went up in flames. She didn't know it but she had just witnessed a 'crowning'. All she knew was that she was extremely lucky to have gotten out when she did.

It was then that she got a good look around and realized that flames were surrounding her and there was hardly anything green left. The flames were so loud she was tempted to keep her ear-slits closed.

_No . . . There may be more Pure Ones around . . . I need all my senses right now. _

At first, the roar of the flames around her was all she could hear. However, as she grew used to the sound of the flames something else caught her attention and she turned her head completely around before her gizzard lurched and her eyes widened as she saw a Barn Owl flying towards her.

_Racdrops! They've found me! Well I won't go without a fight!_

Puffing herself up, she turned around and flew straight towards the other owl, the flames around her seeming to fuel her to take down the Pure One. Take him down or die trying.

000

Soren couldn't help but feel relief when he saw the owl from his dream flying and apparently without a burn yet. However, relief soon turned to shock as she turned and charged right at him. It was only a quick maneuver on his part that kept him from getting a nasty gash along his chest from the female.

"What in Glaux's name are you doing?" he shouted, flying after her, knowing that at any point she could get seriously hurt. He doubted that she had any experience flying through fires before.

Pelli turned around and glared at the Barn Owl. What was she doing? She sure as Hagsmire wasn't going to go with him! She wouldn't be a Pure One! He couldn't make her!

"I'm never going to join you! Stay away from me!"

"Are you yoicks? The fire's spreading and without help you won't be able to get out alive!"

"I'd rather die than join the Pure Ones!"

Soren's eyes widened. Of course! Why hadn't he considered that before? Being a Barn Owl nowadays meant you had to prove you weren't with the horrid group called the Pure Ones. It was hard to believe that his brother had been the leader of the vile owls, but he also was the one who had pushed Soren out of the nest as a chick.

"I'm not with the Pure Ones!" He said, trying to fly a bit closer to the spitfire owl and had to quickly dodge the swipe of a talon.

Not with the Pure Ones? Yeah right. Pelli wouldn't be taken in so easily.

"I'd like to see you prove it!" Pelli then turned tail and quickly tried to flee.

Soren was right on her tail. "Will you wait?" he called, trying to help the other and finding it difficult with her stubborn attitude. He hated resorting to violence, but it seemed that she wasn't going to let him prove himself unless he made her listen.

Pelli fought beak and talon against the other as he forced her to the ground, pinning her so that she couldn't fly away.

Soren was glad when her struggles quieted after the first few lines of the Fire Cycle and he released her, stepping back and giving her back the space he had intruded upon.

Pelli was quite glad this owl had forced her to the ground now. It was almost as though she was spellbound, hearing words she had learned by heart . . . It felt like she had gone yeep. Once finished, she smirked a little bit and looked around them. Surrounded by flames, he had chosen to win her trust by reciting from the Fire Cycle.

"Quite an appropriate choice, considering the situation we're in." she said, nearly churring in the rush of relief that he wasn't a Pure One.

At that moment, quite a few trees around them exploded into flame and the two owls lifted off. Pelli didn't need to be told to follow the other. She knew he'd lead her to safety and not into the talons of the Pure Ones.

As the two owls flew together out of the flame drenched forest to where the search and rescue chaw was waiting; both owls developed a strong sense of respect for each other. Otulissa reprimanded Soren for flying off so suddenly and without reason while Pelli was introduced to Barran and informed about the Great Tree.

_The Great Tree!_ Pellimore thought excitedly, her gizzard twitching joyfully. _I'm going to the Great Tree!_

To Be Continued . . .

**A/N: I'm not stopping there! I'm thinking this thing might be 3 to 5 chapters long. Feedback will be greatly appreciated and I welcome constructive criticism. Flames, however, will be used to toast Pure Ones and will likely help put up a brick wall in my writing creativity. I'm really just glad to be writing again. (grin) Hope you enjoyed!**


	2. Chapter 2: Reading Lesson

**A/N: Hey folks. I've been having a run of good writing lately, so I'm gonna try and update as many chapters as I can. I just hope I haven't jinxed myself. Ha!**

**I only own the books!**

Chapter 2: Reading Lesson

Life in the Great Tree was . . . different. For one thing, the food was _cooked_! Pelli was amazed at how advanced the owls of the Great Tree were. They understood so much, from forging, to weather, to navigation . . .

_To fires._

Pelli shook her head at that last thought. The colliering chaw was indeed something astounding. Being able to fly right into the heart of a fire, grab a coal and emerge unscathed. And Soren was part of it.

Pelli had been avoiding Soren ever since she got to the Great Tree. She was completely embarrassed that she had mistaken him as a Pure One when he was merely trying to rescue her from the fire that otherwise would have claimed her life. In the dining hall, though she could see him gesturing for her to join him with his friends at . . . a rather crowded nest-maid snake, she opted to choose a snake with less owls. If he flew up by her during free-flight, she quickly maneuvered away from him. However, there was one place she had been avoiding with conflicting emotions.

The Library.

Pelli had never even SEEN a book before, much less read one, and yet, Soren seemed to be in there every day along with an old Whiskered Screech Owl who had a squinty eye and a missing talon. He was . . . frightening. And though Soren and the old owl made her want to stay away from the library, she also desperately wanted to go in there and LEARN how to read!

And every day, she wondered about life back in Ambala. Had her friend Hortense escaped the flames? If she had, did the other know Pelli was alive or did she think her friend dead? With each passing day, Pelli longed to return to Ambala and find her friend.

A dream of flying through the remains of the fire of Ambala to find Hortense crying where Pelli's hollow had once been woke the Barn Owl earlier than normal. Pelli looked around. Her hollow mate, a Short-Eared Owl named Lilly, was sound asleep and the harsh light of the evening sun glared into the hollow. Deciding that she would be unable to get much more sleep, Pelli made her way down to the Library. Perhaps no one would be there . . . perhaps, she could finally look at those wonderful books and learn how to read!

As she suspected, not only did it seem like there was no one else awake in the Great Tree, but no one was in the Library either. Pelli felt a smile work its way over her beak as she looked at all the wonderful books. However . . . she couldn't even read the titles.

"Well . . . no way to start learning if I don't try." She muttered and pulled off a book that had an interesting cover. Staring at the title to try and discern a meaning, she gave up after a few minutes and flipped to the first page. There weren't even pictures.

000

Soren sighed slightly as he traversed the Great Tree. He had woken up rather early that morning and decided to make his way to the Library to read something before Tweener. He had the gollymopes. He was sure the Barn Owl he had rescued from the fire trusted him, so why was she avoiding him? She knew he wasn't a Pure One . . .

As he entered the library, he stopped short at the sight in front of him. The Barn Owl from the fire was there. She seemed frustrated though as she stared at the first page of a book that was lying open in front of her.

Pelli frowned at the odd squiggles that she knew were words and letters. She simply couldn't decipher the meaning behind them! She didn't even know which letters were which!

Looking up to give her eyes a break, her feathers pressed close to her body quite quickly as she jumped back a ways. Standing only a few steps away was Soren!

"How . . . How long have you been there?" she asked, quite startled. She hadn't even heard him enter the library.

"Only a few moments. What are you reading?" Soren asked, hoping that maybe he could get on friendlier terms with the owl and that she'd stop avoiding him.

Pelli felt ever more embarrassed. "I . . . I don't know. I don't understand the writing." She admitted sadly.

Soren looked from Pelli to the book and back again to the Barn Owl. "You can't read?" he asked, wondering why she seemed so uncomfortable.

Pelli shook her head. "I've never even SEEN a book before." Then, getting an idea, she walked over to the book again. She was closer to Soren than she would have liked, but she really wanted to learn how to read . . . "What's that?" she asked, pointing her talon to the first letter of the first word.

Soren looked over at the book and where she was pointing. "That's a 't.'"

"And that?" she asked, pointing to the next letter.

"An 'h.'" Soren clarified, moving a bit closer to see the words better.

"And how about that one?" Pelli asked, pointing to the last letter of the first word.

"An 'e.'" Soren said.

"Oh . . . 't,' 'h,' 'e' . . ." Pelli repeated the letters as she stared down at the word. "So it's . . . tee-atech-ee?" she asked, looking up to find that Soren was even closer than she had realized.

Soren churred, hearing her attempt at the word, 'the.' "No . . . The 't' and 'h' together have a 'th' sound."

Pelli blinked. "So it's . . . 'th-ee?'" she asked, a little confused.

"Say it altogether. It has one syllable. It's one sound. 'The.'" Soren instructed, smiling.

"The." Pelli repeated dutifully before frowning. "But you shouldn't have said how the word's said!" she snapped, wanting to have figured that out on her own.

Soren churred some more. "Sorry. I'll be more mindful of that in the future . . . er . . . I don't know your name."

"Pellimore. But I like to go by Pelli." Pelli said and as she did so, she realized that Soren had no grudge against her for thinking him to be a Pure One. She had been avoiding him for no real reason. However, she wanted to make sure, and one thing he said was causing a funny feeling in her gizzard. "And how do you know you'll even have a chance to tell me how a word's pronounced in the future?" she asked with a bit of a smile.

"Er . . . well . . . I thought you wanted me to teach you how to read." Soren said, rather embarrassed now. Of course, she wouldn't want him to teach her. She'd been avoiding him. It was sheer luck that caused him to even run into her.

However, Pelli smiled. "I'd like that." She said and then turned her attention back to the book. She pointed at the first letter of the next word. "What's that?" she asked curiously.

"An 's.'"

"And that?" The next letter was pointed at.

"That's a 't.'"

Pelli was dumbfounded. "But you said that was a 't!'" she exclaimed, pointing to the first letter of 'the.'

Soren churred once more. "That is. But that's a capital 't' and the other one is a lowercase 't'. They're the same letter, but they look different."

Pelli frowned at the book. "Letters are weird." She muttered, but pointed determinedly at the next letter in the word. "How about this letter? What's this?"

"That's an 'o'"

And so began the first of many reading lessons between Soren and Pelli.

**A/N: Squee! I had fun with this chapter. =3 Even if this IS my third attempt at it. The writing streak is going! Yay! There's at least two more chapters in this story. I'll be sad to see it end.**


	3. Chapter 3: Trust

**A/N: After a WONDERFULLY inspiring review, I have been able to come up with this next chapter. Not that the other reviews weren't inspiring as well, but this one just tickled my inspiration to read. Enjoy! :) **

**I only own all fifteen of the wonderful books.**

Chapter 3: Trust

Pelli was feeling much more at home at the Great Tree. She now sat with Soren and his friends at Mrs. P during meals. However, as much as she enjoyed being at the Great Tree, she missed Ambala . . . and the friend she had left behind there. Hortense would have loved being here. When Soren introduced her to Twilight, Pelli found herself awash with homesickness. Hortense adored the tales of Twilight of the Great Tree. Pelli could almost picture her friend nearly jumping out of her feathers from the 'honor' of meeting the legendary Great Grey.

Though she'd had two other lessons since that first lesson in the Library, she was so distracted by the frightening old Whiskered Screech and her homesickness, that she found herself mixing up letters and reading became only more frustrating than fun.

And Soren was definitely noticing that she wasn't focusing.

"Pelli, I thought you wanted to read, not memorize what Ezylryb looked like." Soren whispered, bringing the distracted Barn Owl out of her spacing. Her eye had been drawn to the old owl's foot that was missing one talon, and her thoughts again went to her friend, wondering what the Spotted Owl's reaction would have been to see the other.

She blinked and then turned her sight back to the book. "Sorry Soren. I . . . I'm a little distracted today."

"You've been distracted for a few days. You didn't even notice when I tried to talk to you during free flight." Soren said, frowning softly.

Pelli blinked and looked up, eyes wide. "Oh Soren! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. Really. It's just . . . I . . . I left a friend behind . . . the night of that fire." She said and sighed. "She'd love being here."

"What's her name?" Soren asked, tilting his head to the side slightly.

"Hortense." Pelli tilted her own head confusedly as Soren's eyes widened.

"What's wrong Soren?" she queried.

Soren smiled a little. "I . . . I have a friend who was called Hortense."

Pelli smiled a little in return. "Well, I'm not completely surprised. Nearly every owl in Ambala is named Hortense."

Soren's smile turned a little more knowing. "What's your friend like?" he asked, not delving much deeper into the name of Hortense.

And so Pelli told Soren of the friend she left behind, how they were the best of friends after Pelli came to Ambala to escape the Pure One's in Tyto. Soren churred as Pelli told him of her friend's admiration of 'The Legend of Twilight.'

Pelli wilfed a little as she finished with the night of the fire. "I wonder if she knows I'm alive or not . . ." she murmured.

Soren gained a thoughtful look in his eyes. "Well, I don't see why you can't fly back to Ambala and see her again." He said and then looked to Ezylryb. "Otulissa says that the barometric pressure coming from over around Ambala is dropping. You think we could take an extra owl with us when the weathering chaw heads out?"

Pelli's eyes widened. "Oh no! I don't . . .want to be any trouble or . . ."

Ezylryb's squinty-eyed stare silenced any further protesting from Pelli's beak. He then looked to Soren, who didn't seem to mind at all the deformities the old owl had. "As long as that one owl can follow directions and understand that staring is rude." He grumbled and crunched on one of the dried caterpillars that he had in a pile.

Pelli wilfed. He'd seen her staring. How embarrassing.

"I . . . I should go back to my hollow." She muttered and quickly fled the library, feeling like a fool. As she flew through the night sky, around the Great Tree, she heard the nearly silent sound of wing beats.

Turning her head all the way around on her shoulders, as owls are capable of doing, Pelli could see that Soren was following her. She slowed her flight a bit to allow him to catch up with her.

"You know, I used to be uncomfortable around Ezylryb too." He said, a small smile on his face.

Pelli could hardly believe what she was hearing. "But you're so comfortable around him!" she said, startled by his confession.

Soren churred. "Just fly with him once. That's all it takes."

Pelli sighed. "Well . . . I trust you Soren."

"As opposed to trying to rip my eyes out when we first met." Soren said, amusement in his eyes.

Pelli huffed. "And I'll try again if you ever get on my bad side."

Soren churred. "You have a bad side? Who could have guessed."

"Soren!" Pelli churred, flying over and giving him a light cuff with her wing.

"Ouch. Right. Bad side. I'll be sure to avoid it." He said, happy that Pelli seemed less uncomfortable than before. "So you'll fly with us?"

Pelli sighed. "Alright. I'll fly with you guys. But you can't do me any more favors after this!"

Soren just smiled. "No promises."

To Be Continued . . .

**A/N: Okay, with any luck I'll be able to wrap up this story in two more chapters. Man, I had major writer's block with the last bit of dialogue. It feels like Soren's harder to keep in character. Next chapter they go to Ambala! . . . hopefully. XP**


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